South Williamsport, Pa. • Rounding second base with big strides, Mark Requena knew he had just given his teammates, and all of Texas, something to smile about.
Requena hit a two-run, go-ahead home run in the sixth inning and Lufkin, Texas, overcame a five-run deficit to beat Greenville, North Carolina, 6-5 on Saturday and earn a spot in the Little League World Series championship.
Greenville was previously undefeated in the tournament, having given up just one run and one hit in three games — both to Lufkin, in a 2-1 victory Wednesday — before things changed in a hurry in this one.